Denver Neighborhood COVID-19 Cases Are Higher Than We Thought

Last week, when tallying the latest COVID-19 cases by Denver neighborhood, we noticed strange anomalies in the data — including some totals that were lower than those from two weeks earlier, occasionally by a lot — and shared the possible reasons for the discrepancies offered by the Denver Department of Public Health and& Environment.

Turns out that there was a much simpler explanation. By and large, the numbers were flat-out wrong.

After getting to the bottom of our inquiries about the figures posted June 11 on the Denver COVID-19 summary page maintained by Denver Public Health, Jennifer Fine, a DPH spokesperson, reveals that "our data team was having some technical difficulties with the system last week, and there seemed to be a glitch with uploading the new data."

The resulting errors were profound and far-reaching. Of the more than sixty Denver neighborhoods, only four — Regis, Belcaro, DIA and Auraria — did not see their case counts increase from June 11 to June 15, when the corrected information was uploaded. And some neighborhoods saw their counts double, triple or rise by even more than that.

Hilltop, for example, jumped from 48 COVID-19 cases to 96; Highland soared from 27 to 57; and Rosedale went from 7 to 23. But that's nothing compared to Civic Center, whose total had fallen from 146 positive cases listed on a May 28 survey to just ten on June 11. This swing raised speculation that adjustments had been made for homeless individuals staying in the neighborhood who'd tested positive. But no: The adjusted figure on June 15 was 176, adding thirty positive cases in less than three weeks.

The corrected numbers also show that COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on communities of color. The total positive case count in Gateway/Green Valley Ranch is just under 500, having reached 494 — and Montbello, with a staggering 580 positive cases, has blown past that benchmark.

The bottom line: The number of people with the novel coronavirus in many Denver neighborhoods is much higher than our recent roundup indicated. And much higher than we had hoped.

Below are the corrected, cumulative totals of positive cases for each Denver neighborhood, as well as the city's faulty June 11 counts. They're accompanied by a rate that corresponds to the number of cases per 1,000 residents; the neighborhoods are ranked in ascending order for positive cases.

University
Case Count 14 (14 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 1.38806266111

Wellshire
Case Count 5 (< 5 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 1.46584579302

University Park
Case Count 17 (8 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 1.77341957021

Belcaro
Case Count 10 (no change from June 11 count)
Case Rate 1.95007800312

Washington Park West
Case Count 15 (11 on June 11)
Case Rate 2.06072262673

Platt Park
Case Count 13 (9 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.09880529545

Regis
Case Count 11 (no change from June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.51084227345

Baker
Case Count 17 (15 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.58515815085

Montclair
Case Count 17 (16 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.71392081737

Country Club
Case Count 9 (7 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.74473924977

Hampden South
Case Count 49 (45 on June 11)
Case Rate 2.76476894431

Cherry Creek
Case Count 22 (16 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.78551532033

Cory-Merrill
Case Count 13 (9 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 2.97619047619

University Hills
Case Count 19 (9 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.08241401687

Congress Park
Case Count 35 (28 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.09844192635

Capitol Hill
Case Count 54 (46 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.21313816494

Speer
Case Count 44 (32 in June 11 count
Case Rate 3.29736211031

Central Business District (CBD)
Case Count 16 (11 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.29896907216

Washington Park
Case Count 26 (20 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.45836658686

West Highland
Case Count 36 (29 on June 11)
Case Rate 3.53114271702

South Park Hill
Case Count 34 (27 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.55054302423

Union Station
Case Count 34 (27 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.66142580228

Overland
Case Count 10 (7 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.68052999632

City Park
Case Count 13 (5 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.76048597049

Hale
Case Count 32 (25 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.79551654608

Stapleton
Case Count 105 (55 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 3.88098318241

Sun Valley
Case Count 6 (< 5 in June 11 count)
Case Count 3.89357560026

Sloan's Lake
Case Count 35 (30 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.20369925534

Highland
Case Count 57 (27 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.25500149298

Berkeley
Case Count 41 (31 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.39914163090

Jefferson Park
Case Count 28 (18 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.54914703493

Marston
Case Count 35 (32 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.78338116715

North Park Hill
Case Count 50 (40 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 4.86997175416

Chaffee Park
Case Count 22 (18 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.10796377989

Sunnyside
Case Count 59 (51 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.33984976016

Whittier
Case Count 29 (24 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.37037037037

Indian Creek
Case Count 18 (14 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.39245056920

Lowry Field
Case Count 48 (31 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.42066629023

West Colfax
Case Count 77 (66 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.49215406562

North Capitol Hill
Case Count 43 (27 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.44303797468

Auraria
Case Count < 5 (no change from June 11 count)
Case rate 5.50964187328

Cheesman Park
Case Count 50 (34 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.52303103943

Bear Valley
Case Count 55 (52 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.58205622653

Lincoln Park
Case Count 42 (38 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.82685904550

Fort Logan
Case Count 55 (28 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 5.89243625455

Skyland
Case Count 22 (18 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 6.16764788338

Kennedy
Case Count 32 (30 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 6.19914761720

Cole
Case Count 33 (30 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 6.29050705299

DIA
Case Count 11 (no change from June 11 count)
Case Rate 6.73606858543

Clayton
Case Count 35 (32 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 6.96101829753

Washington Virginia Vale
Case Count 106 (78 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.24786324786

Hampden
Case Count 148 (91 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.30972489752

Southmoor Park
Case Count 41 (17 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.31489741302

Five Points
Case Count 156 (81 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.47627719735

Villa Park
Case Count 74 (68 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.68990959160

Globeville
Case Count 34 (26 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 7.81968721251

Rosedale
Case Count 23 (7 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 8.04477089892

Virginia Village
Case Count 126 (46 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 8.66932709509

Windsor
Case Count 125 (111 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 8.71080139373

Goldsmith
Case Count 59 (29 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 8.92857142857

Harvey Park
Case Count 112 (101 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 8.95785011597

East Colfax
Case Count 103 (90 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.11746481367

City Park West
Case Count 53 (25 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.20938314509

Barnum
Case Count 64 (60 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.47867298578

Mar Lee
Case Count 130 (107 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.51753422652

Hilltop
Case Count 96 (48 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.52286479516

Harvey Park South
Case Count 90 (61 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 9.87058565475

Ruby Hill
Case Count 112 (106 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 10.14768505930

Elyria Swansea
Case Count 71 (61 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 10.25270758120

College View/South Platte
Case Count 78 (72 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 10.53626908010

Gateway/Green Valley Ranch
Case Count 494 (456 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 11.71949136460

Barnum West
Case Count 72 (71 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 12.13960546280

Northeast Park Hill
Case Count 116 (73 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 12.30769230770

Athmar Park
Case Count 134 (129 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 13.68044920880

Westwood
Case Count 264 (247 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 14.57999668640

Valverde
Case Count 66 (62 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 15.33457249070

Montbello
Case Count 580 (544 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 17.06836173160

Civic Center
Case Count 175 (10 in June 11 count)
Case Rate 73.80851961200